Frequently Asked Questions

What is Division III?

Athletics competition at more than 1,000 colleges and
universities in the United States and Canada is governed by the
National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), which maintains
three divisions to offer “level playing fields” for the
smallest liberal arts colleges and the most committed and funded
major-university athletics programs. The largest division in
terms of number of schools and number of participants is Division
III, which comprises more than 170,000 student-athletes at 444
mostly smaller institutions.

Colleges and universities in Division III place the highest
priority on the overall quality of the educational experience and
on the successful completion of all students’ academic
programs. They seek to establish and maintain an environment
in which a student-athlete’s athletics activities are
conducted as an integral part of the student-athlete’s
educational experience, and in which coaches play a significant
role as educators. They also seek to establish and maintain
an environment that values cultural diversity and gender equity
among their student-athletes and athletics staff.

Does Division III offer scholarships?

Division III does not offer financial aid to any student on the
basis of athletics leadership, ability, participation or
performance.

What should a recruit and their parents know about
Division III?

Division III athletics provides a well-rounded collegiate
experience that involves a balance of rigorous academics,
competitive athletics, and the opportunity to pursue the multitude
of other co-curricular and extra-curricular opportunities offered
on Division III campuses.

Division III playing season and eligibility standards minimize
conflicts between athletics and academics, allowing
student-athletes to focus on their academic programs and the
achievement of a degree.

Division III offers an intense and competitive athletics
environment for student-athletes who play for the love of the game,
without the obligation of an athletics scholarship.

Division III athletics departments place special importance on
the impact of athletics on the participants rather than on the
spectators. The student-athlete’s experience is of paramount
concern.

Division III athletics departments are dedicated to offering
broad-based programs with a high number and wide range of athletics
participation opportunities for both men and women.

Division III affords student-athletes the opportunity to
discover valuable lessons in teamwork, discipline, perseverance and
leadership, which in turn make student-athletes better students and
responsible citizens.

Division III features student-athletes who are subject to the
same admission standards, academic standards, housing and support
services as the general student body. The integration of athletics
with the larger institution enables student-athletes to experience
all aspects of campus life.

CMS is a member of the Southern
California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC).
The other eight members of the SCIAC are California Institute of
Technology, California Lutheran University, Chapman University,
University of La Verne, Occidental College, Pomona-Pitzer Colleges,
University of Redlands and Whittier College.

What are the Claremont Colleges?

The Claremont Colleges form a mutually beneficial partnership to
offer joint academic programs and cross-registration in courses, to
cultivate special curricular strengths on which the others may
draw, to encourage contact and cooperation among faculty and
students from different campuses, and to combine physical
facilities and extracurricular programs. Each of the
Claremont Colleges has its own student body, faculty,
administration, campus, curricular emphasis, and individual style
and purpose. The Claremont Colleges include Claremont
Graduate University, Claremont McKenna College, Harvey Mudd
College, Keck Graduate Institute, Pitzer College, Pomona College
and Scripps College.

I am interested in playing a sport, what should I do or
who should I contact?